LA MIRADA – For 49 years, there have been two faces of the La Mirada Symphony – the late Gertrude Blackstock for 40 years and then in the last 10 it’s been Pat Ruiz.

But the symphony as it enters its 50th year has a new president, Dana Taylor. She also has an heir apparent in Kathy Keithley, who is scheduled to take over two years from now.

The symphony provides four free performances during the year, always at the La Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada.

The next symphony “Celebration of Nature,” is scheduled for 8 p.m. Oct. 27.

Ruiz, a member of the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District Board of Education from 1993 to 2001, said that when she took over for Blackstock in 2002, the plan wasn’t to stay on for 10 years.

“I would have hoped to find somebody who would have come in much earlier than this,” Ruiz said. “We have worked on finding somebody but just this past year we had an influx in our board of younger members.”

Taylor, 58, an author of romantic comedies, came on the board in March of 2012 and took over as president five months later.

“I’ve known Pat off and on all my life,” Taylor said. “She called me and said, `Do you want to do publicity (for the symphony).’ The next thing you know she’s saying, `Why don’t you be the next president?”‘

Taylor, who has a degree in theater from the University of Redlands said yes.

“My life is at a point where my kids are gone and I don’t have that much on my plate,” she said. “It seemed to be the right place at the right time.”

Brian Kite, theater director, said the move is a good one for La Mirada.

“I’m happy to see the (board) thinking about the future,” Kite said. “They’re making real changes. A lot has been on a few people’s shoulders. It’s nice to bring in some new people.”

Kite said Taylor will do a good job as the new president.

“Dana has a lot of energy and she has a history with the theater,” he said.

Taylor grew up in La Mirada, moved to Oklahoma where she lived for 30 years and came back in 2003.

She said she’s always been a supporter of the arts.

“I listen to KUSC all day,” Taylor said. “Classical music is something that has a long tradition. Those guys in the 1700s were the rock stars of their days.”

Taylor said she wants to see the audience grow and bring in more younger people.

Mike Sprague started at the Whittier Daily News in April 1984. Since then, Sprague has covered every city in the Whittier Daily News circulation area, as well as political and water issues. Sprague received a bachelor's degree in communications and a master's degree in political science, both from Cal State Fullerton.